Vehicle: 2004 Jaguar X-Type 3.0 wagon with X1-Premium, X2-Sport, X3-Weather, 18″ R performance tires, DSC and Xenon headlights
Price as tested: CDN$60145
Performance: As usual, X-Type is powered by 1 of 2 engines. Both are Duratec-based V6 which divided into 2.5L and 3.0L. Our tester is equipped with latter which has 227 hp and 210 lb/ft of [...]

Vehicle: 2004 Audi TT Coupe V6 DSG with audio pkg and 18″ 9-spoke wheels
Price as tested: CDN$64790
Performance: Along with the introduction of V6 engine in TT, the biggest highlight has to be DSG or Direct Shift Gearbox tranny. This tranny has 2 clutches: 1st clutch for gear 1-3-5 and 2nd clutch for gear 2-4-6. [...]

Short review for 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart/Sportback
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Price as tested: CDN$21988
Price as tested: CDN$24198
The single biggest criticisim of Lancer (except Evolution, of course ) has always been power, or therefore lack of. With the introduction of the Ralliart, Mitsu has given Lancer the power that it has always needed it. A 162hp 2.4L MIVEC that [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Saab 9-2X Aero with Aero leather pkg and 4-speed auto tranny
Price as tested: CDN$43670
Performance: 9-2X Aero is powered by WRX’s horizontally opposed DOHC 16-valver 4 banger engine. It has the same hp and torque ratings as WRX, which are 227hp and 217 lb/ft of torque. There is a dreadful turbo lag somewhere around [...]

In the past, I have mentioned current gen of Camry/Solara have springs that tuned neither firm enough for outright handling nor soft enough for total ride comfort. Its the worse of both worlds where you get neither of the compromise. The Asian tuning is somewhat different than ours. Just like the Corolla, the springs and [...]

VW Beetle GLX 1.8T Tiptronic Cabriolet short review
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Price as tested: CDN$37765
Beetle cabriolet, just like its hardtop silibing, has a cute face that appeals to many people. However, we are going into more than skin deep in this review.
Based on a rigid and stiff chassis, Beetle cabriolet’s structure is wonderfully stout. There are no cowl shakes [...]

Vehicle: 2004 VW Jetta GLS TDI PD with 5-speed stick, luxury pkg, ESP and side curtain airbags
Price as tested: CDN$28745
Performance: The biggest improvement to the original 90hp TDI has to be PD’s refinement. It feels a lot smoother, quieter and more refined in the 110hp PD than outgoing 90hp version. Not to mentioned the 177 [...]

Vehicle: 2002 Toyota Camry LE with pkg B
Performance: Camry is powered by 1 of 2 engines. A 2.4L 4-cylinder and 3.0L V6, both come with VVT-i variable valve timing technology. The one in our tester is the base 2.4L 4-cylinder DOHC 4 with 157 hp and 163 lb/ft of torque. In the previous generations, Camry’s [...]

Vehicle: 2002 Land Rover Freelander S with 5-speed Steptronic transmission. S model comes with base cloth seats instead of leather seats, 15″ instead of 16″ wheels and a few other minor features.
Performance: The sole powerplant for North America is based on Rover’s worthy K-Series engine series. The KV6 engine underneath the Freelander is a 2.5L [...]

Short review of Toyota Corolla CE
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Price as tested: CDN$19455
As a respond to fierce new competition from Mazda 3, Toyota decided to revise their Corolla for 2005. As I have said before, the current iteration of Corolla is a huge improvement over its unremarkable predecessor. It got a far better use of interior space and [...]

Short review of Hyundai Elantra GT Premium with 5-speed stick
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Price as tested: $21350
The current iteration of Elantra already a pretty hard car to improve on given its excellent combination of style, comfort, handling and value. This year Hyundai improves the Elantra with a more powerful 138 hp CVVT variable valve timing engine on an already [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Mercedes C240 4-Matic sedan with 60/40 split fold down rear seats, auto dimming rear-view mirrors, heated front seats, Bi-Xenon headlights and moonroof
Price as tested: CDN$51385
Performance: C240 is powered by a 2.6L V6 SOHC 18-valver engine. This engine has 168hp and 177 lb/ft of torque. Don’t let these numbers fool you because it [...]

Subaru Legacy 2.5i short review
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Price as tested: CDN$28995
Just like its 2.5GT silibing, 2.5i has both sedan and wagon available. With 168hp and 166 lb/ft of torque, this engine is more than adequate for most daily driving. Its a surprisingly flexible and refine engine considered its nature, which is to serve as a safe daily driver [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited sedan with 5-speed Sportshift
Priced as tested: CDN$37495
Performance: The biggest highlight of new Legacy GT has to be its engine. The 2.5L horizontally opposed 4 cylinder DOHC 16-valver is basically a detuned version of STi’s awesome powerplant. With 250 horses and lb/ft, power has never been an issue. There are [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Outback 3.0R H6 VDC
Price as tested: CDN$38995
Performance: The Outback’s flagship R model is powered by a horizontally opposed DOHC 24-valver 6 banger. This engine is good for 250hp and 219 lb/ft of torque. Unlike the H6 of the outgoing Outback, the current iteration never felt sluggish off the line. Its [...]

Vehicle: 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
Price as tested: CDN$46995
Performance: STi uses different turbo engine than the “garden variety” WRX. It uses 2.5L horizontally opposed DOHC 4 cylinder turbo engine that bumps out a whopping 300 horsepower and 300 lb/ft of torque. The power delivery is nothing short of amazing as it screams through [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5S with auto tranny pkg, convenience pkg and personal security pkg
Price as tested: CDN$27798
Handling: One of Altima’s strongest merits has to be its dynamic qualities. There are plenty of steering feel both on and off-center while its responsive enough for driver to handle quick reflexes. As expected from a [...]

Vehicle: 2004 Acura TL
Price as tested: CDN$40800
Performance: 3.2 liter SOHC V6 VTEC with 270 hp and 238 lb/ft of torque is the only powerplant that powered the TL. It has 20 more horsepower and 25 lb/ft of torque more than the outgoing Type-S version. Power has never been an issue with the [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Volvo S40 T5 with 5-speed Geartronic, sunroof, leather seating surface, premium pkg, convenience pkg, climate pkg, audio pkg and sports pkg.
Price as tested: CDN$46840
Performance: The S40 is powered by one of two engines. The base 2.4 or the uplevel T5 in our tester. T5 is Volvo’s proven turbocharged 2.5L 5-cylinder high [...]

Vehicle: 2005 Kia Spectra EX Luxury automatic
Price as tested: CDN$21095
Performance: The Spectra is powered by a 2 liter DOHC 16-valver 4 banger that bumps out 138hp and 136 lb/ft of torque. Gone are the sluggishness and roughness of the previous 1.8L in the outgoing car. This engine has plenty of torque and more [...]